Automatic vending-machine



(No Model.)

RI W. UHLIG. AUTOMATIC V'ENDING IMIJCHIBFI.V

Patented June 1%71892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

RICHARD lV. UHLIG, OF COLLEGE POINT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SETH R.BECKWTITH, OF EAST ORANGE, NET JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent NO. 477,029, dated June 14,1892.

Application tiled June 26, 1891. Serial No. 397,633. (No model.)

To LZZ whom t Iii/ay concern; for actuating the wheel. Fig. (l is adetail in 5o 1t known that I, RICHARD XV. UHLIG, a side elevationshowing the coin-controlled citlzen of the United States, and a residentof wheel holding and releasing mechanism.

College Point, in the county of Queens and Like letters of referencerefer to like parts 5 State of New York, have invented certain new inall the figures of the drawings.

and useful Improvementsin Automatic Vend- Referring now to the detailsof the draw- 5s ing-Machines,of which the followingis a speciings byletter, A designates a suitable base,

CVDIQD- upon which may be su pportcd and secured in This inventionrelates to certain new and any suitable manner an inclosing case A',

ro useful improvements in that class ot' devices which may be of anysuitable material and as known as slot-machines]7 that operate todefanciful in design as may be desired. 60 liver certain articlesthrough the deposit of B is a standard or upright secured to this coins;and the present invention pertains base in any suitable manner and isdesigned more particularly to that class of these mato support theoperating parts, which consist ehines in which is employed arotarypocketed of a wheel B', which is provided with a pluwheel into which thearticles are placed and rality of outwardly-opening pockets or comfromwhich they are automaticallydelivered, partments b, radially arrangedalternately mechanism being provided for preventing dewith an equalnumber of spaces around the enlivery of the articles and rotation of thewheel tire circumference or periphery of the wheel,

zo until the same is released by the action of the excepting at1)',where one pocket or compartinserted coin. ment is omitted for apurpose hereinafter eze` 7o The invention has for its object, amongplained. The peripheryof this wheel on one others, to obviate thenecessity of pulling open side or edge is serrated, notched, or toothed,as

a drawer or slide to obtain the article after shown at h2, correspondingwith the number of 2 5 the coin has been inserted in the slot. pocketsor compartments of the wheel, includ- The device is designed moreparticularly for ing the omission. This wheel is carried bya thedelivery of postage-stamps; but of course shaft O, which is supported insuitable bearit may be employed for the delivery of various ings in thestandard B, as shown in the various other articles. views, and thisshaft is designed to be spring- 3o Other objects and advantages of theinvenactuated, which may be accomplished in any tion will appear in thefollowing description, suitable manner. l have shown two forms. 8o andthe novel features thereof will be par- In Fig. 5, O is a spiral springarranged ticularly pointed out in the claims. around the extended end ofthe shaft with The invention is clearly illustrated in the one endsecured to the shaft and the other 3 5 accompanying drawings, which,with the letend to a boss b3 on the standard, so that as ters ofreference marked thereon, form a part the shaft is revolved in onedireetionits spring of this specification, and in whichwill be wound upto give it momentum in the Figure l is a side elevation of my improvedother direction. In Figs. l, 2, and 3 is shown device, with theinclosing case shown in secanother' means for accomplishing this pur- 4otion. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section pose. ln these views C2 isa spring attached with the operating parts shown in edge view. at oneend to the base, as at c, and its other 9o Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection through the inend connected with a strap or cord, which isclosing case, with the mechanism shownin top designed to be wound uponthe shaft, as seen plan. Fig. i is a side elevation of the pockin saidFigs. l, 2, and 3, the other end of the 45 eted wheel with'a portionbroken away, and strap being attached to the boss b3, as seen atvshowing also the means for preventing delivc. The outer edges of thepockets are notched, ery of articles when desired. Fig. 5 is a deasshown at c2, and D are substantially semitail, partly in section andpartly in side clecircular guides secured to the base beneath vation,showing one form of connecting-spring the wheel and surrounding thelower half or more thereof and extending slightly within the pocketsthrough their notched edges, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the said guidesbeing provided at their junction with the base wit-h projections d, thatserve as guides at the delivery-chute. The guides at their upper endsmay be strengthened and braced by arms c3, attached thereto andconnected with the standard B, as seen in Figs. l, 2, and

The tension of the spring upon thc shaft may be adjusted by means of aset-screw Z1", as seen in Figs. l, 2, and 3.

E is the coin-chute, entrance to which is provided throiigh theinclosing case, the said chute being arranged to deliver the coinspassed therethrough into a box or other receptacle-E', which is arrangedwithin the case at the bottom thereof, as shown.

F is the spurious-coin arrester and rejecter. It is pivoted, as at e, tothe standard or upright Band is arranged with its upper edge in the pathof a coin th rough the coin-chute. Its normal position is in an inclinedposition, as seen in Fig. l, and its lower end communicates with thechute F, which extends in an iiiclined direction, as seen in Fig. l, andis arranged to deliver the spurious or improper coin to the 'front ofthe machine, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

G is a stop on the face of the wheel, as seen best in Fig. 1, and G 'isan arm or lever pivoted at g to the standard or upright B and at itsupper end has connected thereto a liorizontal bar, arm, or rod G2, whichis adapted to slide through an opening in the coin-chute, as seen iiiFig. l. This bar or arm carries a lug or pin g', which is designed towork in a curved slot g2 of the standard or upright, as seen in Fig. l,a spring H being arranged with one end secured to the standard, theother end secured to the said lug or pin, and the spring being coiledaround or connected with the pivot of the arm or lever, all as shown inFig. l.

I is the coin-actuated lever. It is pivoted at h to a lug or stud on thestandard or coinchute and at its lower end carries an enlargement h',which extends within the coin-chute, as seen best in Fig. 6, the saidlever being provided witli a pin t' upon each side of its pivot toengage the teeth or notches on the edge of the wheel, as seen best inFig. 1.

J is a horizontal arm pivoted att" to the coin-chute and extendingthrough a hole in the saine, with its inner end, which is curved, asshown in Fig. 6, arranged within the chute land its portion outside itspivot formed with the two notchesj to engage a projecting pin 7c on thelever I.

K is a slide movably held to one of the curved guides D, as seen in Fig.4, and arranged to be moved beneath the wheel to open or close thedelivery-chute, as may be desired.

As a safeguard against the machine being stolen, an alarm device may beattached, as shown at L, which will bc sounded immediately upon liftingthe machine by the release of a spring-trip projecting through the baseand held at rest by the weight of the machine.

The operation is as follows: The casing being removed, the pockets ofthe wheel inay be supplied with the requisite number of stamps or otherarticles by rst placing-in each of the pockets in the upper half of thewheel as many as it is desired to deliver simultaneously, and then byturning the wheel, so that the remainder of the pockets are accessible,the process of lling the pockets may be completed, the blank space onthe wheel where the pocket is omitted leit directly above thedeliverychiite M, which should have been previously closed to preventthe premature discharge of the articles in passing that point, theguides D retaining the same elsewhere upon the lower scmicircle. Inturning the wheel just before it reaches the position described the armclosing the upper end of the coiii-chiite is also opened outwardautomatically by the contact of the stop on the wheel with the lever G.The casing being replaced and secured in position, the device is inreadiness for the vending of the articles. When a coin of thepredetermined value is inserted in 'the slot located at the top of thecase at the entrance of the coin-chute, it is detiected in its downwardcourse by the angular sides of the same, so as to lodge in the mouth ofthe channeled trip, when, it' it be of the proper denomination and havethe exact size and weight required, it will be released by the tiltingot the said trip and continue its descent through said chiite to thecoin-receiver beneath the wheel actuating the pendulum-escapement I Jduring its passage by contact with the triplever J and causing the Wheelto rotate slightly by allowing the disengagement of one of the pins withits engaging-notch and to advance one of the pockets over thedelivery-chiite, when the contents of said pocket will be dischargedthrough the opening for that purpose in the base of the machine. If thecoin inserted is spurious or otherwise deficient by failing to tilt thechanneled trip it will be discharged through the other chute F', andthereby returned to the depositor without operating the machine oreffecting the delivery of the articlein the pocket. W'hen thewheel hascompleted an entire revolution simultaneously with the discharge of thearticle from the last pocket of the wheel just preceding the blankspace, the upper rod or slide G2 will be automatically operated to closethe entrance to the coin-chiite by the stop G on the wheel coming incontact with the lever G', and thus preventing the insertion of coins,and the rotation of the wheel being likewise checked thereby all furtheroperation of the device is suspended until the case is again removed andthe mechanism adjusted and the pockets refilled.

Various modifications in detail may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of IOO ITO

the invention or sacrificing` any of its advantages.

A spring M may be arranged to normally hold the escapernent inengagement so as to prevent rotation of the wheel.

What I claim as new isi. The combination,with a rotary pocketed wheeland a delivery-chute beneath the same, of curved guides upon theiradjacent lower edges with integral vertical projections d, serving asguides at the delivery-chute, and a horiZontally-movablc slide upon oneof said guides, and formed with a longitudinal slot and a shoulder atits inner end and adapted to move across the delivery-chute and to beguided and limited in its movement by one of said projections, and themeans working in said slot, as set forth.

2. The combination,with the rotary pocketcd wheel having notchedperiphery, of the coin-chute, the coin-chute lever pivoted thereon andat its lower end provided with an en* largement working through anopening in the chute and at its upper end carrying a pin to engage thenotches of the wheel, and a pivoted horizontal arm for engagement with aprojection of the said lever, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the rotary pocketed wheel having notchedperiphery, of the coin-chute, the coin-chute lever thereon, and at itslower end provided with an enlargement Working through an opening in thechute and at its upper end carrying a pinto engage the notches of thewheel, and a pivoted hori- Zontal arm for engagement with a projectionof the said lever, said horizontal arm being pivoted to the chuteworking through a hollow therein with its inner end curved and its upperportion formed upon its under side with separated notches, as set forth.

4. The combination, with a rotary pocketed wheel having a stop on oneface thereof and the standard having a curved slot, of apivoted armarranged to be moved by said stop and a rod connected with said arm andworking through an opening in the coin-chute, as set forth,

5. In a vending-machine, the combination, with a rotary pocketed wheelwith stop and coin chute, of the movable arm Working through an openingin the chute, a pivoted radially-arranged lever connected with said arm,a spring acting upon the lever, and a curved guide for thc arm,substantially as shown and described.

6. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the rotary pocketed wheelprovided with a stop and the coin-chute, of the standard, the armpivoted thereto and carrying a pin working in a curved slot in thestandard, a horizontal arm carried by the pivoted arm and arranged toclose the entrance to the coin chute when engaged by the stop upon thepocketed Wheel, and a spring arranged to act upon the said pin and thepivot of the arm, as set forth.

Signed at the city ot New York,in the conn ty of New York and State ofNew York, this 3d day of June, A. D. 1891.

RICHARD W. UI-ILIG. Witnesses:

LEW. F. BLANCHARD, CHARLIE BooTI-I.

